Life preserver



liov. 23,1926. 1,608,264

G. F IGLIETTI LIFE PRESERVER Filed Jan. 13. 1926 INVENTOR W10 BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

GERMANO FIGLIETTI, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE PRESERVER.

Application filed. January 13, 1926. Serial No. 81,061.

This invention relates to improvements'in life preservers in which a quantity of air is located to both sustain a body in the water and furnish a supply of air for breathing purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide a life preserver having an air reservoir located therein which is adapted to sustain a body in the water as well as to furnish a supply of air for breathing purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a life preserver of novel construction which can be conveniently and readily applied on the body of the wearer.

This invention provides a device which is conveniently applied to the body of the wearer and is particularly useful in permitting breathing while under water or when enveloped in gas fumes. As part of the equipment for submarine crews, the life preserver herein described is particularly useful, as it is designed to permit the wearer to safely ascend to the surface of the water and to furnish suitable air for the sustaining of life for a long period of time.

Although certain changes may be made in the construction of the device, particularly.

in the means for permitting the exhaled air to become purified, I do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described, but would like to have my'invention included within the spirit of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of my invention applied on the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the air container.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 represents a flexible circular air container,

constructed preferably from rubber; and located entirely around the said air container is a metallic casing 2, which is adapted to encase and protect the container from damage. Located over the surface of the metallic casing 2 is a layer of cork 3, which is adapted to assist in sustaining the body of the wearer of the apparatus in the water.

The numeral 4 represents a mask, constructed preferably from rubber, which may be drawn over the head of the wearer and tightly fastened around the neck by a band 5. The band 5 is used primarily to securely hold the mask 4 in its proper posiwhich is adapted to protect the head of the wearer from injury and keep it upon the surface of the water.

'Attached to the mask 4 near the part thereof where the nose of the wearer is positioned, is a box 7, provided therein with a porous mixture of sodium hydroxide and lime, or other material suitable for absorbing the carbon dioxide gas of the exhaled air. Any other material adapted to purify the exhaled air may be satisfactorily used instead of sodium hydroxide and lime, it only being necessary that air can freely-pass through it.

Connecting the box 7 with the air container 1 is a flexible tube 8, which is secured to the box and container at its ends by cement or other suitable means. The tube 8 provides a suitable means for permitting the exhaled air to pass into the container 1 and vice versa.

Attached to the metallic casing 2 area pair of shoulder straps 9 adapted to support the container 1, the metallic casing 2 and the cork 3 on the wearer; and attached to the said casing and extending .below the same are a pair of crossed straps 10 through which the legs of the wearer may extend to hold the apparatus in its proper position on the wearer.

The air container 1 affords a suitable" means for supporting the body of the wearer in the water and for furnishing a means for containing and cooling a supply of air for breathing purposes.

For the sake of clearness and brevity I have not shown in detail the construction of the mask 4 and the box 7, but inasmuch as the construction of masks of this kind are of common knowledge it is suflicient to state that any mask which is water tight and which is adapted to purify exhaled air may be satisfactorily used with the other features of my invention.

In order to make the device herein shown and described more efficient, a suitable means may be attached to the box 7 for enclosing the chemicals and preserving their strength when the device is not in use; and likewise a suitable valve may be attached to the'air container 1 or tube 8 for either Withdrawing the air or for preventing its escaping therefrom.

I therefore do not desire to be limited to the exact construction as shown and described herein, but desire my invention to be included within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, What I claim 1s: p

A life preserver c0mpr1s1-ng,'a rigid 'a1r container located around the'body portion of the wearer, a mask fitting over the head of the wearer and provided therein With means for'purifying the air exhaled by the wearer, a rigid material located on the mask for protecting the head of the wearer, and a tube connecting the mask and the air container whereby the air exhaled by the wearer may pass into the air container.

GERMANO FIGLIETTI. 

